GB2380111A

GB2380111A - Enhancing browser readability

Info

Publication number: GB2380111A
Application number: GB0218127A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Mark Moir
Original assignee: Pace Micro Technology PLC
Current assignee: Arris Global Ltd
Priority date: 2001-08-04
Filing date: 2002-08-05
Publication date: 2003-03-26
Also published as: GB0119123D0; GB0218127D0

Abstract

This invention relates to the provision of an internet browser function particularly, of the type provided as a function of a broadcast data receiver with the display generated and displayed on a display screen such as that of a television set. Television display screens have a relatively low resolution and therefore it can be difficult for the user to ascertain and identify selectable options on the display. In accordance with the invention, when a selectable option or number of options are selected by the user, typically via a remote control device, the selections are displayed in a graphically altered format, so as to allow the user to ascertain or confirm the identity of the selected option or options even on a lower resolution display screen.

Description

Internet Web Browser Display Enhancement The invention to which this application relates is to the provision of an internet browser service, typically, but not necessarily exclusively, of the type provided as part of a broadcast data receiver service.

Broadcast data receivers are typically provided to receive data broadcast from a remote location and transmitted via satellite, cable or terrestrial transmission systems. The receiver apparatus can also be connected to a means for allowing the provision of an internet service which can be selected by the user of the apparatus, with the service typically being viewable via the screen of the television set connected to or provided integrally with the broadcast data receiver. The internet browser which allows the navigation of the internet services can typically be controlled by the television remote control.

Commonly, with broadcast data receiver based internet services, the screen displays a large element of text and also includes selectable links to other pages. However television screens allow the display of the text and links with lower resolution than is possible, say, with monitor display screens provided for Personal Computers. Because of the reduced resolution of a television display in comparison with a monitor, the user can encounter difficulty in viewing the display and differentiating the various links and/or text. This is especially a problem if the display uses the visual highlighting of a link to illustrate that the particular link has been chosen and the highlighting colour is similar to other areas of the display.

This can be a problem for any user of the browser but is of course of particular problem to those users who are visually impaired.

The aim of the present invention is to provide a facility whereby portions of the display can be illustrated in a manner which allows the portion and/or text of that portion to be more clearly visually differentiated by the user.

In a first aspect of the invention there is provided an internet browser, said browser utilised via a display generate on a display screen connected to the browser, said display on the display screen including a number of user selectable options, said selection made by the user using appropriate control means to interact with a selected option on the display screen and wherein, upon selection of a particular option of the display, the display portion representing the option, or an element in the portion, is displayed in a graphically altered format.

In one embodiment, the selection of a particular option can cause a number of other display portions to also be displayed in an enlarged format. Typically in this embodiment the user can then select one portion from the number of graphically altered display portions.

In one embodiment, the options, if selected cause the internet browser to go to the site represented by the link and generate a new display.

Thus, in one embodiment of the proposed system, the user may select one of a number of selectable options and the text of all the selectable options is displayed in a graphically altered format. Alternatively only the text of the selected option is enlarged and displayed.

In one further embodiment, the selection of an option or options causes display of the option or options substantially

across the display screen to the exclusion of material previously displayed.

Typically the graphically altered format of display is an enlarged format such as the enlargement of text, icons, logos or an entire portion of the display.

Typically the system is provided as part of an internet browser function of a broadcast data receiver and the user selection is made via a remote control device interacting with the broadcast data receiver.

Specific embodiments of the invention are now described with reference to the accompanying drawings; wherein Figure 1 illustrates a first embodiment of a display generated in accordance with the invention; and Figure 2 illustrates a second embodiment of a display generated in accordance with the invention.

In a broadcast data receiver (BDR) based internet browser function, the user typically has the BDR connected to or provided integrally with their conventional television set.

Television set display screens have reduced resolution compared to other display screens such as computer monitors. As a result it is common for an internet site page displayed on a television screen to be relatively tightly filled with text, graphics and selectable options to allow, for example, connection to other internet sites or services whereas the same data would normally be more spaced, and hence more easily definable, on a computer monitor. With this form of television display, the selectable options can get lost or not be easily defined on the television screen, especially for those users who are visually impaired.

This invention assists the user in these circumstances by allowing clearer definition of the selectable options from the rest of the display and also enhancing the options when viewed as is now illustrated.

In the embodiment shown in Figure 1 there is illustrated a typical television screen display of an internet site page 2. The display 2 comprises a number of portions, a first series of options 4 each of which is an option which is user selectable to cause the internet browser to move to another internet site. A second portion 6 comprises text and graphics which provide information relating to the particular page display and portions 7 which are adverts.

In accordance with the first embodiment the invention assists those users who may have trouble discerning the wording on the selectable options 4 and therefore may not be able to select the appropriate option. It should be appreciated that in practice, the text is a relatively small point font and would be difficult for even people with 20/20 vision to identify, even when sat at a short distance from the television set.

The user can select and highlight one of the options 4 in a conventional manner by employing the cursor keys (left, right, up, down) of a remote control device to move the cursor around the screen and then pressing select or OK to activate the selection.

When the option 4, in this case option 4', is highlighted, a display 10 is generated on the screen which shows in an enlarged manner the text from the highlighted option. Thus the user can check whether the correct option, in this case, the wording "photo galleries", has been selected. In one embodiment the size

is the only thing to have been enlarged, the colour and underlining can stay the same.

If the user then presses Select or OK on their remote control, the browser moves to activate the option selected as usual. If the link is wrong, moving the cursor or highlight interactively changes the selected option with the option 4'returning to normal display format.

In the case of highlighting a graphic or other portion of the display, the user can have the option of showing an enlarged version of the graphic, with the alternative display provided and embedded in the HTML < alt > tag or the URL for the selected option location.

A second embodiment of the invention is illustrated with respect to Figure 2. In this embodiment the display shown in Figure 2 is generated from the user selection of the internet page display shown on Figure 1 without the display portion 10. The user moves the highlight cursor up and down the list of selectable options 4 of Figure 1 and selects an option in the manner described previously. However in this embodiment, upon the selection of an option, the web browser parses the internet page and identifies all of the selectable options 4 and graphical links 16 available for user selection on the displayed page. When identified, the display 12 shown in Figure 2 is generated which lists all of the selectable options 4 on the internet page, including the option which has been selected and which is indicated by the highlighting 14 as shown.

Thus the display is generated over all or a substantial portion of the screen thus allowing the options to be displayed in an enlarged fashion. If there are any graphics 16 with the options

these can be displayed at enlarged size as shown and listed along with the textual links.

Alternatively the list can show the < alt > tag as long as the HTML has them. Failing both, the URL can be displayed.

In both systems, the display options can be selected by the user from either toolbar buttons or dedicated keys on the remote control.

Thus the present invention allows portions of the display to be displayed in a more easily definable manner and therefore solves the problem of visually"losing"selectable options amongst other material in a densely populated internet page display.

Claims

Claims 1. An internet browser, said browser utilised via a display generated as a display screen connected to the browser, said display on the display screen including a number of a number of user selectable options, said selection made by the user using appropriate control means to interact with a selected option on the display screen and wherein upon selection of a particular option of the display, the display portion representing the option, or an element in the portion, is displayed in a graphically altered format.
2. An internet browser according to claim 1, wherein the selection of an option causes a number of other linked display portions to be displayed in a graphically altered manner.
3. An internet browser according to claim 2 wherein the user can select one portion from the number of graphically altered display portions.
4. An internet browser according to claim 1 wherein the option selected directs the internet browser to go to an internet site represented by the option to generate a new display on the display screen.
5. An internet browser according to claim 1 wherein the user selects a plurality of options and all the selected options are displayed in a graphically altered format.
6. An internet browser according to claim 4 wherein the user selects one of a number of selectable options and the text of the selected option is graphically altered for display.

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7. An internet browser according to claim 1 wherein upon the selection of one or a number of selectable options, the same are displayed in a graphically altered format on the screen to the exclusion of at least some of the material previously displayed.
8. An internet browser according to any preceding claim wherein the internet browser is provided as a function of a broadcast data receiver connected to a display screen.
9. An internet browser according to any of the preceding claims wherein the display screen is the screen of a television set.
10. An internet browser according to any of the preceding claims wherein the user selection of a selectable option from the display screen is made using a remote control device.
11. An internet browser as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

11. An internet browser according to any of the preceding claims wherein the graphical alteration of the format of a selected option is the enlargement of said display portion representing the option.